Daily media briefing on #COVID2019 – actions taken, preparedness and updates via PIB_India

There will not be any shortage of hydroxychloroquine in the country either today or in the future

@MoHFW_INDIA :

• Health Minister had a VC meeting with Health ministers & officers of all states; dedicated #COVIDHospitals, preparedness, contact tracing & surveillance were discussed; states have ensured their full readiness to deal with the situation.
• 678 new cases since yesterday has taken the total number to 6412; 503 people have recovered.
  Total no. of #COVID19 cases – 6,412,
  In last 24 hours – 678 new cases,
  503 have recovered and have been discharged
  33 deaths, Total 199 deaths so far
• The nation has not yet entered the stage of “community transmission” of #COVID2019. What is important is how well we are able to collectively adopt required precautionary and containment steps.
• We would request you to come forward and inform authorities if you observe symptoms in you or your near ones, so that testing and treatment can be done.
• .⁦@MoHFW_INDIA⁩ has announced #COVID19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package worth Rs 15000 crores; this will support strengthen medical infrastructure in States.
• Under #COVID19 response package, states will be supported in upgradation of medical infrastructure, setting up of dedicated #COVIDHospitals, upgradation of testing facilities, supply of logistics such as PPE, training of health workers
• In order to augment supply & availability of ventilators, face masks, surgical masks, PPE, #COVID19 testing kits & related inputs in the country, these items have been exempted from customs duty and health cess.
• We have placed order for ~49,000 ventilators, supply will start coming soon.
• 39 PPE manufacturers are available in the country today; PPE has been procured and given to states, due to which they have double the PPE stock available with them relative to what they had two months back.
• 9 lakh #N95Masks were available with the states two months back, ~20 lakh additional masks have been provided to the states, additional quantity being procured; due to this, we don’t expect any shortage of N95 Masks at the field level.
• Our biggest strength in the fight against #COVID19 is our frontline health workers, even one incident against them can hurt their morale and strength. I appeal to you that none of us commits any act by which morale of our frontline #CoronaWarriors is affected.

@MoHFW_INDIA on HCQ :

• There will not be any shortage of hydroxychloroquine in the country either today or in the future Also, HCQ is meant only for specific sets of people, it is to be used only based on prescription of registered doctors.
• Domestic requirement and production of hydroxychloroquin has been 100% ensured, not even for today but for coming times as well.
• Based on our projected requirement, we need ~ 1 crore tablets of hydroxychloroquin for the coming one week, while we have 3.28 crore tablets with us today. So we have more than 3 times supply relative to the domestic requirement.

Updates from @ICMRDELHI:

• We have expanded our #COVID19Testing strategy to include all symptomatic cases in hot spot areas.

Updates from @MEAIndia :

• As of yesterday, 20,473 foreign nationals have been evacuated from India on request of foreign governments, this is an ongoing process.
• Given the ongoing Lockdown21, we are not able to give a definite answer with regard to return of Indians abroad, we need to assess situation and decide at a later stage.
• Our Ambassadors and High Commissions are in touch with Indians abroad, they are being guided and giving all support; MEA Helplines also are active, calls being answered and guidance is being given.
• Hydroxychloroquin is in high demand globally, many countries have requested for it; considering domestic stock availability & our requirement, Group of Ministers decided to release some surplus stock for export
• Certain medicines were in restricted list & others in prohibited list. Based on review by Committee of Secretaries & by Group of Ministers, restrictions were lifted on many medicines, given the domestic priorities – @MEAIndia, reg. export of hydroxychloroquin.
• Exports to the first list of countries have been approved, we are working on 2nd and 3rd lists now. However, domestic requirement will be the priority of the government, while taking decisions on export of HCQ.

Updates from @HMOIndia :

• Enforcement of #lockdown is happening in the entire country; urban local bodies have strengthened their efforts in containing the spread of #COVID2019 in hot spots.
• MHA has again written to states today to enforce lockdown effectively, especially considering upcoming festivals.
• Around 16.5 lakh workers are being provided food and relief by their employers and industries.
• In addition, a total of ~26,225 food camps have been set up in the country, in which more than 1 crore people are being provided food.
• As per udpate from states on April 9, 2020, 37,978 relief camps & shelters have been set up, 14.3 lakh stranded migrant workers and other needy people are provided relief. Out of this, more than 34,000 relief camps set up by state governments, ~3,900 camps by NGOs.
  

Pic Credit : @PIB_India